16 Hard To Believe Weird Bans By Countries Around The World

From ban on frowning to ban on dying early, here are 16 ridiculous bans which you would have a hard time in believing.

16.Milan: Frowning

If you want to visit Milan, make sure to smile all the time. The Italian metropolis has imposed a ban on frowning. The city states that it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits. Grouches who dare to break this regulation can face a fine.

15. Romania: Scrabble.

In the 80’s, Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu banned the game of Scrabble because it was “subversive” and “evil.” Luckily, the ban is no longer, and the country now has a Scrabble Federation and hosts tournaments for players.

14. North Korea: Blue Jeans

Black jeans are fine, if that’s any consolation. But blue being a color that is associated with the United States, North Korea decided to ban blue jeans.

13. Iran: Ponytails, mullets, and hair that was too spiky

The Iranian government issued a list of appropriate male hairstyles in 2010, which prohibited ponytails, mullets, and hair that was too spiky.

12. Turkmenistan: Lip-Synching

In 2005, then-President Saparmurat Niyazov bannedlip-synching at large cultural events and on television programming in order to preserve “true culture”. He had also banned opera and ballet, deeming them “unnecessary.

11. China: Time Travel

Ever watched Back To The Future and decided to rewrite your idea of history, based on what you’d just seen? Well that’s what Chinese censors feared would happen so they introduced a complete rational ban on all TV shows and films which included time travel elements.

10. France: Ketchup

France banned ketchup from all primary school cafeterias back in 2011 in order to preserve French cuisine. To embrace ketchup would be to embrace American culture, and the French feel they are above American culture.

9. Malaysia: Yellow dress

The Malaysian government said goodbye to wearing the color yellow in 2011 after a group of opposition activists were arrested wearing yellow t-shirts.Nowadays you can walk the streets of Malaysia safely, even wearing the color yellow, but it is still viewed as the color which represents political protest.

8. Germany: Run Out Of Gas On Autobahn

If you run out of gas in the Autobahn, you’re breaking the law. And if you get out of the car and walk to the gas station with humble aim of getting some fuel, you’re still in trouble as walking on the Autobahn too is prohibited.

7. California: Dictionaries

Mandatory library time at school was, at times, interminable. The only activity that made it seem worthwhile was the sophisticated skill of finding rude words in the dictionary. But, sadly, this time-eroding pastime led to dictionaries being removed from Californianschools as they were corrupting youths with their filthy vocabulary.

6. Burundi: Jogging

During a period of ethnic strife in the country that only ended within the last decade, citizens of Burundi would go jogging together in large groups as a way to get out their energy and use one another as protection from dangerous militias. However, in March 2014, the country’s president, Pierre Nkurunziza, banned these jogs, claiming that they are used as cover for people to plan subversive activities — and, in fact, many opposition members have been jailed for taking part in group jogs.

5. China: Reincarnation Without Government Permission

A 2007 law in China, on the “Management Measures for the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism” made it illegal for Buddhist monks to reincarnate without prior government approval. Or, at least, for religious groups to recognize a Buddha’s new “soul child” following the passing of the previous Buddha without first getting government permission.

4. South Korea: Online Video Games after Midnight

A 2011 law, known as the “shutdown law”, blocked children under the age of 16 from playing video games online between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. Recently, authorities have decided to show leniency, and will lift the ban in response to a parental request. The ban was meant to help curb a gaming addiction amongst members of the South Korean public.

3. Italy: Kissing in a moving Vehicle

Italy is often considered one of the most romantic countries in the world but be careful when kissing your lover here. In Eboli, a town in Southern Italy, kissing in a moving vehicle is banned. Breaking this law can cost you several hundred dollars.

2. United Kingdom: Dying in the House Of Parliament

It’s not sure how they would prosecute you for breaking this law, but: dying in the Houses of Parliament is technically not allowed because anyone who dies inside is entitled to a state funeral. And clearly, the government doesn’t want to deal with many state funerals.

1. Spain: Illegal to Die

In the little Andalusian town of Lanjarón, Spain, there was a certain time period during which it was illegal to die. The town’s 4,000 inhabitants were to stay alive until the government was able to buy land and build a new cemetery. The unusual law was mostly received with humor among both the politicians as well as the citizens.